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  System-on-a-chip for processing multimedia data and applications thereofUSPTO Application #: 20080022236Title: System-on-a-chip for processing multimedia data and applications thereof Abstract: A system-on-a-chip integrated circuit includes a multimedia module that produces rendered output data and a high-speed interface. A processing module generates output multimedia data in accordance with at least a portion of a multimedia application in response to input multimedia data received from either the multimedia module or the high-speed interface. The output multimedia data is provided to either the multimedia module or the high-speed interface. An on-chip DC-to-DC converter converts a battery voltage into a supply voltage that is coupled to the multimedia module, the high-speed interface, and/or the processing module. (end of abstract) Agent: Garlick Harrison & Markison - Austin, TX, US Inventors: Matthew Brady Henson, Matthew D. Felder, Marcus W. May, Daniel Mulligan USPTO Applicaton #: 20080022236 - Class: 716002000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Design And Analysis Of Circuit Or Semiconductor Mask, Circuit Design, Optimization (e.g., Redundancy, Compaction) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080022236. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS [0001] This patent claims priority under 35 USC .sctn.120 as a continuation of pending patent application entitled BATTERY-OPTIMIZED SYSTEM-ON-A-CHIP AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF, having Ser. No. 10/612,577 and a filing date of Aug. 02, 2003 that claims priority under 35 USC .sctn.119(e) to provisionally filed patent application entitled MULTI-FUNCTION HANDHELD DEVICE, having a provisional Ser. No. of 60/429,941 and a provisional filing date of Nov. 29, 2002. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Technical Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates generally to portable electronic equipment and more particularly to a multi-function handheld device and a battery-optimized system-on-a-chip used therein. [0004] 2. Description of Related Art [0005] As is known, integrated circuits are used in a wide variety of electronic equipment, including portable, or handheld, devices. Such handheld devices include personal digital assistants (PDA), CD players, MP3 players, DVD players, AM/FM radio, digital still cameras, digital video cameras, pagers, cellular telephones, computer memory extension (commonly referred to as thumb drives), etc. Each of these handheld devices includes one or more integrated circuits to provide the functionality of the device. For example, a thumb drive may include an integrated circuit for interfacing with a computer (e.g., personal computer, laptop, server, workstation, etc.) via one of the ports of the computer (e.g., Universal Serial Bus, parallel port, etc.) and at least one other memory integrated circuit (e.g., flash memory). As such, when the thumb drive is coupled to a computer, data can be read from and written to the memory of the thumb drive. Accordingly, a user may store personalized information (e.g., presentations, Internet access account information, etc.) on his/her thumb drive and use any computer to access the information. [0006] As another example, an MP3 player may include multiple integrated circuits to support the storage and playback of digitally formatted audio (e.g., formatted in accordance with the MP3 specification). As is known, one integrated circuit may be used for interfacing with a computer, another integrated circuit for generating a power supply voltage, another for processing the storage and/or playback of the digitally formatted audio data, and still another for rendering the playback of the digitally formatted audio data audible. [0007] Integrated circuits have enabled the creation of a plethora of handheld devices, however, to be "wired" in today's electronic world, a person needs to posses multiple handheld devices. For example, one may own a cellular telephone for cellular telephone service, a PDA for scheduling, address book, etc., one or more thumb drives for extended memory functionality, an MP3 player for storage and/or playback of digitally recorded music, a radio, etc. Thus, even though a single handheld device may be relatively small, carrying multiple handheld devices on one's person can become quite burdensome. [0008] Further, such handheld devices use a battery (or batteries) to supply power to the circuitry of the device. The more power the circuitry consumes, the shorter the battery life (i.e., how long the device can be operated before having to replace or charge the battery). Several techniques have been developed to reduce power consumption of battery-powered circuitry. One technique is to turn off circuitry that is not needed to support the present function and to put the device in a "sleep" mode when the entire device is not in use. Another technique relates to improvements in integrated circuit fabrication, which allow for smaller devices to be developed and to operating at lower voltages, thus consuming less power. For example, 0.18 micron CMOS integrated circuit technology is currently the most popular process, which uses supply voltages of 1.8 volts. Just a few years ago, however, 0.35 micron and 0.50 micron CMOS IC technology were the most popular processes, which used supply voltages of about 3.3 volts. In the near future, 0.09 and 0.13 micron CMOS IC technology will most likely become the technology of choice, which use supply voltages of about 1.0 volts. While these techniques work to reduce power consumption, they are not optimized on a chip-by-chip basis, but are designed based on worst-case operation of the integrated circuit. As such, a majority of the integrated circuit circuits are consuming more power than necessary, since the power reducing techniques are worst-case based and not individually established. [0009] Yet further, many handheld devices include an external memory interface to couple to external memory, such as a memory card, flash memory, etc. The memory interface typically includes a state machine that is programmed to process the reading to and writing from the external memory in accordance with a standardized memory access protocol. As is known, many external memory devices use a standardized memory access protocol, however, recently some manufacturers have deviating from the standardized memory access protocol. The non-standard external memories offer some advantages over the standardized memories, thus are desirable for use with the handheld devices. However, the memory interface state machine is not capable of processing the memory access requests for non-standard memory. Thus, a handheld device would require multiple state machines to process memory access requests with standard and non-standard memories. [0010] Therefore, a need exists for an integrated circuit that provides multiple functions for handheld devices with optimized power consumption, with a minimal requirement of external components, and provides flexible external memory interfacing. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0011] The battery-optimized system-on-a-chip of the present invention substantially meets these needs and others. In one embodiment, a battery-optimized system-on-a-chip includes multimedia module, a high-speed interface, a processing module, on-chip memory, and an on-chip DC-to-DC converter. The multimedia module is operably coupled to produce rendered output data from input data received via the high-speed interface or from data stored in the on-chip memory. The multimedia data includes audio, video, video graphics, and/or text data. The high-speed interface is operably coupled to provide data to and from an external source, such as a host computer, video decoder, memory card, wireless modem, and/or a CMOS/CCD (charge coupled device) image sensor. The on-chip memory is operably coupled to store at least a portion of a multimedia application, wherein the processing module processes input multimedia data in accordance with at least a portion of the multimedia application to produce output multimedia data, wherein the input multimedia data is received from the multimedia module and/or the high-speed interface, and wherein the output multimedia data is provided to the multimedia module and/or the high-speed interface. The on-chip DC-to-DC converter is operably coupled to convert a battery voltage into a supply voltage, wherein the DC-to-DC converter provides the supply voltage to at least one of the multimedia module, the high-speed interface, the processing module, and the on-chip memory. With such a system-on-a-chip, power consumption is optimized for various applications within handheld battery operated devices requiring a minimal of external components. [0012] In another embodiment, a comprehensive system-on-a-chip includes a processing core, digital interface circuitry, mixed signal circuitry, and battery optimization/management circuitry (hereinafter referred to as battery optimization circuitry). The processing core is operably coupled to process input digital data and produce therefrom output digital data. The digital interface circuitry is operably coupled to provide the input digital data to the processing core and to receive the output digital data from the processing core. The mixed signal circuitry operably coupled to convert input analog signals into at least some of the input digital data and to convert at least some of the output digital data into output analog signals. The battery optimization circuitry includes a DC-to-DC converter and a battery charger, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is operably coupled to convert a battery voltage into a supply voltage that supplies at least one of: the processing core, the digital interface circuitry, and the mixed signal circuitry and the battery charger is operably coupled to charge a battery that generates the battery voltage. With such a system-on-a-chip, power consumption is optimized for various applications within handheld battery operated devices requiring a minimal of external components. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a multiple function battery operated device that includes a battery-optimized system-on-a-chip in accordance with the present invention; [0014] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of another multiple function battery operated device that includes a battery-optimized system-on-a-chip in accordance with the present invention; [0015] FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a battery-optimized system-on-a-chip in accordance with the present invention; [0016] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a comprehensive system-on-a-chip in accordance with the present invention; [0017] FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of another battery-optimized system-on-a-chip in accordance with the present invention; [0018] FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram of a capacitor-less headphone driver in accordance with the present invention; [0019] FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of another capacitor-less headphone driver in accordance with the present invention; and [0020] FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of an electro luminance drive circuit in accordance with the present invention. 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